


Shadow Riders: Inter Vivos

by Maygra



Series: Magnificent 7: Shadow Riders AU [2]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-01-01
Updated: 2003-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-10 00:27:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1152629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maygra/pseuds/Maygra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p> <b>Notes: </b> In a way, this is a bit of a cheat. This is a new AU, culled and mulled and feverishly worked over in my head for some months, and it would be entirely remiss of me to not acknowledge how much Joe Lawson's Two-Blood Universe and Diamondback's Camino del Diablo influenced both the feverish thought and the desire to dabble in the dark realms myself.<br/>I've take great liberties with both Persian mythology and classic horror literature.</p><p>This takes place some thirty years after the the seven are cursed, and despite the time, they are all still adjusting. Intimacy between Chris and Vin has begun, but not always with the most benign of intentions.</p><p> </p><p><b>Warnings:</b> This story has not been betaed, exactly. And on pain of death, I'm not allowed to say who has looked it over until it is *G*. The universe is open, although if you are interested, you may want to wait until the first story, if not<br/>the concordance, is up and running. (Or inquiries are welcome.)</p><p> </p><p>Feedback of any sort is encouraged and welcomed at <a href="mailto:maygra@bellsouth.net?Subject=Inter%20Vivos">maygra@bellsouth.net</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Originally posted 12/01/2003</p>
    </blockquote>





	Shadow Riders: Inter Vivos

**Author's Note:**

>   **Notes:** In a way, this is a bit of a cheat. This is a new AU, culled and mulled and feverishly worked over in my head for some months, and it would be entirely remiss of me to not acknowledge how much Joe Lawson's Two-Blood Universe and Diamondback's Camino del Diablo influenced both the feverish thought and the desire to dabble in the dark realms myself.  
>  I've take great liberties with both Persian mythology and classic horror literature.
> 
> This takes place some thirty years after the the seven are cursed, and despite the time, they are all still adjusting. Intimacy between Chris and Vin has begun, but not always with the most benign of intentions.
> 
>  
> 
>  **Warnings:** This story has not been betaed, exactly. And on pain of death, I'm not allowed to say who has looked it over until it is *G*. The universe is open, although if you are interested, you may want to wait until the first story, if not  
>  the concordance, is up and running. (Or inquiries are welcome.)
> 
>  
> 
> Feedback of any sort is encouraged and welcomed at [maygra@bellsouth.net](mailto:maygra@bellsouth.net?Subject=Inter%20Vivos).
> 
>  
> 
> Originally posted 12/01/2003

**Shadow Riders: Inter Vivos**  
 **(Between the Living)**  
 **by Maygra**  
 **Universe:** Shadow Riders (open)  
 **Pairings:** Chris/Vin  
Rating: NC17, slash

 

St. Louis, 1904  
 

The sun was down. Chris could feel it and he couldn't say how or why. His thoughts hesitated and stalled, the edge of panic setting in as he became aware of the unanimated weight of his body.

Then, just as the screaming started in his head, a voice whispered through the total void of feeling.

"You're okay, Chris."

Vin's voice was there, just at the edge of his consciousness, but he heard him, didn't imagine it. Not memory, not a trick. He could hear Vin's voice. Straining for it, he could hear him breathing, even hear the muted thump of his heart. He hadn't realized his hearing came back first. The sound of Vin's voice distracted him enough to quell the panic and the ability to move came to him quite suddenly. He jerked as he always did: that sudden sensation that there was life -- or whatever he'd inherited that passed for it -- coursing through his veins, giving power to his muscles.

He sat up suddenly enough to make Vin flinch, but he didn't move off the side of the bed. There was a single lamp lit. The sky beyond the window still held the last glow of sunlight, but it didn't penetrate the room.

"I heard you." Chris sounded surprised even to himself.

Vin didn't say anything at first, only studied Chris' face. "Your eyes were open...you looked..." he dropped his gaze. "That rough always?" he asked.

Not surprising Vin had seen it, just surprised that anything showed at all when Chris felt immobilized, paralyzed. Just thoughts in the darkness.

"Yeah," he said and didn't elaborate, shifting over to sit on the edge of the bed. "You been here long?"

"Just a few minutes," Vin said and rolled his sleeve back, exposing his forearm. The skin around the crudely hammered silver gauntlets was dark and bruised-looking; even in the faltering light it was easy to see darkness under Vin's eyes as well.

"Not a good day?" Chris asked, but he didn't really need to. He got a ghost of a smile from Vin, though.

Chris only rubbed the exposed forearm lightly, feeling the warm skin, too warm. It was getting harder and harder lately for Vin to keep the daevas inside him under control. Over the years, they'd all had to learn new things, learn how to deal with the changes in their lives, but nothing was perfect, and they'd all run into situations where the demon inside Vin did ugly, terrible things to him, his friends, or innocents. And it never got any easier. Vin had little to say about it, but he usually could feel the demon rising up inside him, trying to regain control. Sometimes he could warn them, sometimes not. It had been getting increasingly worse the longer they were in St. Louis. Josiah thought it might be the number of people...like maybe the daevas had some way to draw strength from them.

Or maybe it was just hungry and there were too many meals here for it to ignore.

Chris bit, as gently as he could, the hot blood rushing into his mouth as he tapped into the vein. It was slightly bitter, familiar, but a little on the sour side, unlike the blood of those who were wholly human, which was salty-sweet and richer than the most lavish chocolate. Not enough of a difference to make Chris stop, though, because it wasn't the taste so much as the power, the sheer power of life that flowed through the red stuff. It hit Chris in his belly and in his brain, a groan of pleasure almost escaping him as he swallowed, then sucked harder, feeling the flesh give under his teeth, his tongue lapping at the torn skin even as he sucked. The fresh blood flooded his limbs with warmth, made his cock swell and harden as if he'd been touched. Every sense became more acute: he could hear Vin's breathing shallow out, feel his body temperature drop, smell the sweat and dust on his skin, taste the change in Vin's blood as the daevas was subdued, leaving Vin weaker but more himself, the metallic tang on Chris' tongue losing the bitter, sour edge. Vin's head drooped forward as if a great weight were lifted from him, body relaxing, the lines of strain easing from his face. Vin lifted his free hand, the arm trembling a little bit and Chris' eyes flicked toward it, but Vin only pushed the loose hair off his face. His lips parted as his tongue came out to moisten them.

Chris was still learning, but he knew the signs when Vin's heart started to beat a little faster, straining to keep up the lessening flow of blood. Vin swayed a little, face pale, but he didn't ask Chris to stop.

He didn't want Chris to stop, but Chris did, still not understanding how he could feel some shadow of what Vin did when he fed from him. When he fed from anyone. It was like an echo, not so much sound as feeling, and maybe not even that. Fleeting impressions, sometimes incredibly visual ones. Here and now, though, he could only tell Vin was tired and frayed. Oblivion was worth more than the fight to stay himself.

Chris lifted his head, watching the gouges heal, feeling Vin's skin cool under his touch. He lifted his hands to frame Vin's face and jaw, letting his own warmed hands skim over the stubbled chin and along the dry lips. Vin resisted Chris' mouth no more than he had his fangs, tongue welcoming Chris', a small sound in the back of his throat that became a moan as Chris levered his body up, pushing Vin back toward the bed. His hand found the rising hardness at Vin's crotch, guessing he had stopped soon enough for Vin to still be aroused. "You want this, Vin?" he asked, stroking the firm column of flesh, his own body quickened and hard from Vin's blood. He waited for the answer. Vin had come to him for something, but it might as easily have been just to settle in the darkness for awhile.

"Yeah...yeah. Chris." A murmur only and Chris found his mouth again, pulling at his belt and his pants, rubbing himself against the exposed flesh. Vin pulled his shirt off, casting it aside and his hands found their way to Chris' hair, the silver snagging a little on the shaggy ends and Chris ignored it, tugging and pulling until Vin's pants were down around his thighs.

It took only a little lift of Vin's hips and a kick for him to be free of them and Chris pushed his own pants down, fingers carding through the dark crisp hairs at Vin's groin until he hissed.

Chris wrapped his hand around Vin's cock and stroked, smiling a little when Vin's eyes half closed in pleasure. A quick reach and twist spilled a little lamp oil over Chris' fingers and he stroked himself, then found Vin's throat to bite lightly. A low growl of pleasure hit his own throat when Vin tilted his head back.

The sex was more for Vin, because the blood itself was enough for Chris, but there was no denying the pleasure contact brought as well, especially when his partner was more willing than overwhelmed. His fingers found the tight, warm hole. Vin lifted one leg high, half rolling to his side to stretch out, and gave a little gasping stutter of encouragement when Chris found the hard lump inside him that sent a shudder through Vin's body. Chris pulled his hand free and guided his cock to the waiting hole.

He pushed inside with one long hard, firm thrust, lifting his head long enough to watch Vin arch back and gasp. He wanted it, but his body was not entirely prepared for the intrusion and Chris waited him out. As long as Vin had blood in his body, stamina wasn't much of an issue for Chris at all.

A shudder overtook Vin's body and he pushed back, blue eyes meeting Chris' with tacit approval to continue. The thrust and withdraw started slow, Vin stroking his dick in time, squeezing and flexing his pelvis, until his breath started coming in short, harsh gasps.

Chris pulled out, his dick dark and hard, weeping the curious mix of blood and fluid, the heat in his loins and the tightly coiled tension in his belly warning of his own readiness to let go as he guided Vin to his belly then up on his hands and knees.

Vin was trembling now, murmurs of soft encouragement escaping him as Chris resumed the steady and ever quickening thrusting into the tight ass, wrapping an arm around Vin's chest to pull him up and back and gripping his cock.

His mouth found the heavy vein at the join of Vin's shoulder and throat and he bit, thrusting hard, pumping faster and felt Vin's seed spill over his hand, viscous and hot. He sucked harder, giving a little mental push to sharpen Vin's attention on what he was feeling, what they were sharing. His spittle mingled with the blood as he lifted his own wrist to his mouth and bit into the fleshy part of his thumb.

The blood flowed dark and hot and before the wound could heal he offered it to Vin, to his lover, and Vin placed his mouth over the wound to suck as well. Dangerous maybe, because the daevas craved blood as Chris did, sought flesh out like men hungered for fine food.

It had been an accident to discover this, that the power in the blood, the feeling and sensation, that the outright drunken euphoria of it could be passed both ways. It was the same with Buck, maybe even more powerful than with Vin, but the results were the same. Vin's body quickened again, his spent cock rising, a groan escaping him.

The blood flowed between them, the feelings caught in a circular flow that was addictive all by itself. Vin's teeth worried the wounds, keeping them open, the sharp spike of minor pain passing quickly, prompting Chris to drive in harder and push Vin back onto the bed, pounding into him hard enough to make the brass frame shudder and the springs squeak in protest.

Vin bucked beneath him and Chris let go, filling and slicking the tight channel and he had to concentrate not to let claws form to rake the thin skin that sheathed Vin's hips. Then, suddenly, it was all sensation, and even as he spilled his last and pulled back, Vin was rolling to his back, chest heaving and eyes glazed. Blood lingered on his lips and Chris stretched out over him to lick it away, then kissed him, invading Vin's mouth as easily and thoroughly as he just taken his ass.

Vin bit him then, sharply enough to elicit a small yelp from Chris, but there was an intense expression on the handsome face. The glassy look in Vin's eyes and the faint flush to his face and chest indicated he was not near done. Chris swallowed, half-wishing Vin would say it, explain it and knowing he wouldn't.

Apparently it had been an incredibly bad day.

Something had happened today, something that had brought Vin back to the edge of shame and anger and desperation. Maybe there was some desire for punishment there, except it was neither pain nor brutality that Vin was asking for, only a connection of sorts, a reminder. Maybe just the reminder that he could be stopped, that in some ways, Chris' entire existence, Buck's, all of them were designed to do just that...stop Vin, stop the demon...salvage something out of a massacre thirty years in the past.

Today had probably been no worse than others Vin'd had, but a year ago, Vin wouldn't have had this, didn't have the means or ways to ease today into just one more of a long string of painful memories. A year ago, he'd have come to Chris or Buck and offered his throat or his arm and ask them to take it all, to take him far past oblivion and into death where he could avoid all the pain and anger and above all isolation that he experienced in having a demon attached to his soul and making his life a misery.

Chris shifted once more, stretching out over him, pinning him to the bed as much with his gaze as with the weight of his body. Then it was Vin's turn to swallow and look away, and Chris coaxed him back. He used his mouth and his fingertips, gentling the silent demand and urging Vin to meet him halfway. The first hesitant stroke of fingers across Chris' shoulder became more of a caress. A murmur of sound that could have been his name or just a quiet, "yes."

"You want to tell me about it?" Chris asked, when Vin had relaxed somewhat.

"Not now...later maybe," Vin said. "Everybody's okay," he added quickly and Chris nodded. Whatever had happened, the worst had been averted then. Might be a few ruffled feathers and even if he couldn't entirely trust Vin's assertions, if something had happened, it was unlikely the others would have let Vin enter his room alone and left him there. Of course, he might have missed them in that first few moments. Chilling to think that let loose and out of control, Vin was perfectly capable of having thrown the curtains wide, when Chris was most vulnerable, to let the sun in

He shuddered and it was Vin's turn to pull him close and Chris let him.

Chasing his own tail. There was a point where he had to trust Vin; to trust Josiah and Nathan and Ezra and JD with the same faith he gave to Buck. Vin was blooded now, as much himself as he ever was, the same man Chris had trusted for several years to watch his back. Maybe it was worse to know that the person who trusted Vin the least was Vin himself.

Chris found a grin from somewhere. It didn't really matter, at the moment, what had happened. He'd find out soon enough. "Just wanted a little company, huh?" he asked.

Vin gave a snort, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Could have stayed with the boys for that," he said, about as close as he'd come to saying that he'd sought out Chris particularly and still dancing around the edge of why. They both were. It still felt odd but not wrong, when maybe it should have. Or maybe not.

Chris wanted to think it was better now, for both of them, for all of them, even if the rest of the world they'd known would be either scared out of their wits or out right damn them all. This certainly hadn't turned out to be any kind of eternal damnation Chris had ever given thought to. There was no denying the threat of the demon, or the threat Vin could be. But more and more of the Vin he remembered was showing up during the in-between times.

Vin moved beneath him, thrusting his hips upward, catching Chris' face in his hands to sear his mouth with a bold demanding kiss that roused things in Chris even without the benefit of fresh blood.

This was a part of Vin Chris had never seen or even guessed at. And there were times when he wasn't fully convinced it was all Vin and not just some residual influence of the demon. Right now, though, he was pretty sure it was; Vin being pushy but not actually taking the lead. Only encouraging Chris to continue on and that was a revelation and a joy all its own.

Fangs drove in for a third time and Vin's teeth raked his neck and shoulder, blood welling, closing that circuit once more. A strong hand held his head to the vein, fingernails raked along his back and thighs held him tight as he thrust in and fucked the still-tight ass as hard as he could, and continued to do so when Vin bucked and liquid heat spread over both their bellies.

Vin's arms fell away, blood loss making him weak, face pale but his body still twitching and jerking under the hard thrusts. Chris caught his head, met the gaze that was fast losing focus. He kissed Vin hard and got a feeble but encouraging response and let himself release.

He dropped hard, curling to Vin's side and gathering the cooling body to his chest. Not dead yet but fainting, and still Vin found strength enough to let his fingers spread across Chris' rib cage, responding to the far gentler kisses.

Chris let his lips whisper against the cool temple. "Enough?" he asked, softly, almost praying it would be so, but having no hesitancy in continuing if it wasn't. Life and death had taken on all new meanings with this change in their lives -- and in their deaths. It could be said that he and Buck and Vin were far closer to the latter than the former, that he and Buck had crossed past that point and were still among the walking, talking and occasionally breathing. Vin hovered somewhere in-between constantly; needing to breathe and eat and able to see the sun, but how much of life was tied to the soul that Akmanna had torn in half and stolen?

Vin didn't answer immediately, close to unconscious, but his fingers gripped at Chris' skin weakly. "I'll remember this," he said.

He would. He'd wake to remember being held, maybe take strength enough from the memory keep going instead of giving up, for another day or another week. Was doing it even now by coming to Chris at all. Touch, taste, contact...death for Vin wasn't something that came on him sudden as it did Chris and Buck with the rising of the sun. He was still human enough to fight it, even when he wanted it.

It was answer enough and Chris bit again, burying his face in the thick curls, letting the blood flow, discarding all moral objections, all thoughts of reason and what had once been the dictates of humanity and decency that had been ingrained in him since birth.

They weren't human any longer. Josiah, Ezra, Nathan and JD could lay claim to being closest still and the silent and vague disapproval he sometimes felt from all of them but JD was annoying but understandable.

"I've got you" Chris murmured, not even sure Vin could really hear him any longer, until fingers threaded through his hair once more, pressing Chris' head back down. Offering Chris his blood, his body, and maybe reclaiming a little of his soul in the process.

Vin's ass wasn't quite so tight. He was past the point where he could quickly heal, but he knew what he was asking and Chris had no reason, within their changed circumstances, to deny him anything that brought pleasure or even comfort.

He went slower though and he shifted his bite to Vin's lax wrist rather than his throat so he could watch his face. Let the others disapprove. They didn't often see this: see Vin unguarded and grateful, see the peace in his face or the pleasure, the silent sense of connection that had always seemed to be a part of Vin that could never be shaken free. When they saw desire on Vin's face it was more often the kind of desire and seduction that was the hallmark of the demon that possessed him. JD had learned better than any of them, changing to a wolf so fast that Vin would only seethe in frustration at being denied. The others, all of them supposedly older, wiser men, hadn't been so lucky.

At least Vin had stopped apologizing for it.

Slow, deep thrusts, and Vin hardly reacted at all save for a soft moan or two. His own genitals were lax but his gaze held Chris' for as long as he could until his eyes slipped closed and his body went limp. Chris pressed on, able to taste within the weakening flow of blood, that Vin still felt, was still aware on some level. His heart beat slower and Chris paced it, waiting for that one last telling heart beat before he lifted his mouth and thrust hard into the unresisting body and held himself there. The last of the warmth in Vin's body faded, one last death spasm gripped him and Chris felt the pulsing release boil up from his balls.

It should have felt both wrong and repulsive, but neither thought lingered at all. Vin's face was pale enough to chase the shadows from beneath his eyes. He could have been sleeping, face peaceful and calm, with no trace of pain or fear or shame.

Chris withdrew and licked the mangled wrist clean. His cock was still hard and Vin would hardly know it if he continued. He'd done that too, caught up in a frenzy, he and Buck both.

The rules of the rest of the world no longer applied, but Chris had created a few of his own. As long as he was aware and not caught up in the hunger and the madness that a feeding could produce, he'd rather have Vin with him than merely a vessel for his lust.

He moved reluctantly, his own body far warmer than Vin's at the moment. He moved Vin further up on the bed and arranged the loose limbs in something more natural than the deathless sprawl. His release had painted Vin's thighs with a wet darkness and black smudges painted their bellies, smeared and drying.

Water from the pitcher took care of it and Chris pulled his pants on, but only pulled a blanket over Vin. He fingered the silver bracelets: the dark bruising was gone. The demon at rest without Vin's living presence to feed it.

There was whiskey waiting and he poured a glass, pulling out one of his small cigars. He wasn't surprised when there was a soft tap on his door and Buck pushed it open.

Buck glanced at the bed and sniffed, easing in. Chris looked up at him and nodded at the whiskey. Behind him, JD pushed in and saw Vin as well, a sigh escaping him but he smiled at Chris. No disapproval there and there was no way JD's over-sensitive nose couldn't know what had been happening for the last half hour or so.

"What happened today?" Chris asked, not modulating his tone. Vin was dead: there was little reason to whisper.

"He went after Ezra," JD said, finding a place to sit on the edge of the bed. "Had Ezra pretty much ready to shoot his way out. Both of them up on horses, ready to ride and..." He shrugged and started pulling off his shirt. "Josiah shot him."

"He's getting drunk right now," Buck said. "Ezra's just feeling pissy. Or guilty. It's hard to know."

JD finished stripping off his clothes. "I keep telling Ezra if he'd be willing to change more often..." JD sounded put out, maybe a little annoyed himself. He wanted to blame somebody, but it was hardly fair to blame either Vin or Ezra for something neither of them could actually control.

Chris still had to look away when the younger man's body stretched and twisted, the change evoking something akin to nausea in Chris' gut. But then the black wolf was settling on the bed, head stretched out to rest on Vin's blanket-covered legs.

Chris unfolded himself from his chair and finished dressing. JD would watch Vin and Chris would be back before Vin came to himself again. He'd get Vin some dinner, maybe they'd take in some of the World's Fair exhibitions.

"I'll talk to Ezra. Anything we can do for Josiah?"

Buck shook his head. "Naw. Nathan'll keep him from causing too much of a ruckus. But there's some pretty gals downstairs looking for dancing partners."

That raised a grunt of laughter from Chris. "I'll be back in a few hours, JD," Chris said and got a whuff from the wolf.

Buck was waiting and the boys needed to know things were all right, which Chris knew he could best accomplish by keeping his surly demeanor in place. But he hesitated before returning to the bed to press a kiss to Vin's cool lips. Vin wouldn't remember it, wouldn't even know it, but Chris would. There was far more than death between them and maybe someday they'd figure it out.

Then he glared at JD who was very obviously laughing at him.

Buck was amused too, but there was no denying the tenderness in his eyes when he looked at Chris, edged by a little affectionate mocking. He slung an arm around Chris' shoulder and guided him out the door.

~~end~~

 

 

[ ](http://eosdev.com)


End file.
